The Festival of San Roque

Oh, quirky local festivals. Every town has them! This week marks the Festival of San Roque, an important celebration in Altamira (Huila), Colombia, the area where our San Roque coffee comes from. Many towns in Latin America claim a patron saint and they honor the saint every year during week-long festivals full of food, music, dancing, and parades. Folks in Altamira have been celebrating all week, and it’s all set to culminate with a feast day on August 16th.

San Roque (or Saint Roch, in English) is often invoked against illness, and he is the patron saint of dogs. In Altamira, people round up village dogs, bathe them and adorn them with ribbons, then treat them to a large feast of their own. Since we can’t get down there for the doggie dinner, we’re honoring San Roque and our four-legged friends by giving some love to one of our favorite organizations, the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society. Check them out here and give your favorite canine an extra squeeze this week. Feliz día de San Roque!

Want to try Colombian coffee? Our San Roque brew has delicious notes of cherry cola, chocolate, and clementines. Get it here.